If you want to spend some time gambling but cannot do so because there are no land based casinos nearby, then online casinos are the perfect solution for you. However, a lot of people hesitate to use an online casino because they feel the process might be too complicated or they have security concerns over the monetary transactions. But most of the casino sites today offer great security and have made the joining process very simple. Here are some things that will help you when you decide to join an online casino.

Downloading the Software

Almost every gambling site today offers downloadable software. Even though a lot of flash based games are also offered by casinos that can run in the browser, companies use software to provide the players a great gaming experience.

Downloading the casino software has become a very simple process. If you have an internet connection with decent speed, then it takes not more than a few minutes for the download to complete. After that you will need a computer system that meets the requirements specified on the website. You should not fret over this as most of the software run on minimal computing power. If you do have any sort of problems, casinos have a customer care department that can help you with it.

Opening an Account

Once you have downloaded the software, you will be required to open an account at the site. Most of the sites offer you two options in this context. One is to open an account to play for fake money. This is the same as normal gambling, but you won't be wagering any real money. This can be very helpful in getting accustomed to the software and the game play for different games.

The other option is to open a real money account. You will be asked to provide some personal information while filling the form. Many of the casinos do not entertain more than one account for a single person. If you are caught making multiple accounts, you may be banned from that site and other casinos on that network. The account can be made directly from the site as well for some casinos. In that case, you can use the software directly by entering the login details.

The next part is making your first deposit. You won't be able to wager on games unless you have some money in your account. Many people are wary of online monetary transactions, but most modern day casino sites are very secure. They use 128-bit SSL encryption technologies, and sometimes even more secure methods, to safeguard these transactions. Also, the casinos are equipped to handle a various methods of payments. They accept major credit cards like Visa, MasterCard and American Express to name a few. But for online casinos, the best option is to use an e-wallet service. This is especially beneficial for American players where financial institutions are barred from making transactions related to gambling. Most of them also accept bank drafts, checks and wire transfers.

Most of the casinos have a welcome bonus as well. This bonus is available to all the players making their first deposit. You should make sure that you read the terms and conditions carefully before you opt for the bonus. The bonus is takes by entering a bonus code at the time of registration.

Playing the Games

After you have made an account you are free to play any game you choose. Casinos today offer a wide array of games. You will find blackjack and its variants, roulette, and craps amongst the table games. Some casinos, offer both the American and the European version of roulette. Casinos take advantage of the modern computers to provide you various creative theme based games in slots. Poker and sports betting usually have a separate section to themselves.

Playing these games is very simple. You can select the game through the software and then start playing using the money in your account. Your bonus money will be shown separately, and some casinos will also show a progress bar indicating the completion of your wagering requirements. Not only this, regular and long-term players get a lot of rewards through various promotional and VIP schemes present in many casinos.

Knowing all the above mentioned information should be enough to convince you that joining an online casino is not a difficult task at all. There are over 2000 casino sites and millions of players all over the world have joined these sites. So there is no shortage of options.